


Last Kiss

by ourwritinginvein



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Death, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 10:50:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5453981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ourwritinginvein/pseuds/ourwritinginvein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PRESENT DAY</p><p>Oliver sat in the chair wearing his tux, and let the tears stream down his face. How was he supposed to live the rest of his life without her? How was he supposed to smile, and go on with his life. He can’t pretend that she never existed, that this didn’t happen. He loved her so much, and she was gone. He saw black, everyone was wearing black. They all piled behind him, some came forward and mentioned to him how sorry they were for his loss, but he ignored them, his eyes were fixed on the open casket, where she lay. He couldn’t let go. Not yet. Not ever.</p><p>72 HOURS AGO</p><p>Four hours until her death</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This is VERY long. Sorry.

PRESENT DAY

Oliver sat in the chair wearing his tux, and let the tears stream down his face. How was he supposed to live the rest of his life without her? How was he supposed to smile, and go on with his life. He can’t pretend that she never existed, that this didn’t happen. He loved her so much, and she was gone. He saw black, everyone was wearing black. They all piled behind him, some came forward and mentioned to him how sorry they were for his loss, but he ignored them, his eyes were fixed on the open casket, where she lay. He couldn’t let go. Not yet. Not ever.

72 HOURS AGO

_Four hours until her death_

“Good morning beautiful,” Oliver said to his wife kissing her tenderly on the mouth.

“Good morning to you too handsome.”

“Coffee?”

“Yes. Did you add the sugar?”

“2 spoons, like always,” he smiled kissing her.

“Aren’t you going to drink your coffee,” she asked in between kisses.

“I take mine without sugar, so I thought I could steal some from you,” he said quickly kissing her over and over again. He would never get over the way their lips just melted against each other, and the way she tasted, how her tongue playfully swept across the insides of his mouth. She was home. He was home. This is all he ever needed, and his kids.

“Daddy,” Tom interrupted both of them.

Felicity turned to see what their son wanted, but Oliver merely grunted and pulled her back to him, finishing what he wanted to. Her lips were hesitant at first, but they succumbed to his tongue, and she crashed against him.

“EW! Guys,” Tom exclaimed.

Oliver smiled pulling away from his wife and turned to his son who had a disgusted look on his face. Oliver however look extremely satisfied and content.

“You’ll understand one day. What’s up?”

“I don’t want to go to school today.”

“Why not,” Felicity asked concerned.

“I just don’t.”

“There has to be a reason or you’re going,” Felicity finalised.

“The spelling bee is today.”

“So what,” Oliver asked genuinely confused,” You’re great at spelling. You’re great at everything.”

“Yeah, honey. You’re the first in your class. You’ll win,” Felicity added.

“That’s the problem,” Tom said exasperated.

“You don’t want to win?”

“No, but if I don’t then I’ll make you guys sad.”

“Why don’t you want to win Tom,” Felicity asked concerned.

He said nothing but turned to look at his father.

“Uh-uh,” Felicity said. “No, no guy talk. Whatever you want to say to your father, you can say to me.”

Tom didn’t budge, and neither did Felicity so Oliver kissed his wife again, and then picked up their son and ran to Tom’s bedroom and locked the door.

“Oliver,” he heard his wife yell.

“Okay, we have like two minutes before she kicks down the door so stop laughing and explain.”

“There’s this girl,” Tom said half-laughing. “Her name is Kathi.”

“Okay, and what she doesn’t like smart guys?”

“No, she does…but she’s smart too.”

“So you want to let her win the spelling bee instead and make her happy?”

“Yeah, is that stupid?”

“According to your mother, yes, but according to me, no. If I was smart enough to even qualify for the spelling bee, I’d let the pretty girl I had a crush on beat me.”

“Mom said you could qualify, but you thought it wasn’t cool, so you were like rest of the losers.”

“I wasn’t a loser.”

“That’s what mom said,” Tom put his hands up defensively.

“I’m actually not surprised…about you, not your mother insulting me…though I’m not surprised by that either.”

He looked at his son’s face which was in the state of confusion.

“You  _do_  get it don’t you? When your mom and I kiss? That’s what you want someday.”

“Yeah, but when  _you_  guys do it it’s gross.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re old.”

“We’re not old,” Oliver said defensively.

“Yeah you are, and you’re my parents so it’s even worse.”

“THOMAS JOHN QUEEN YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW,” Felicity shouted from behind the door.

Tom got up, unlocked the door and pointed at his father. “I told dad not to do it, but he didn’t listen.”

“Dude, I’m on  _your_  side,” Oliver said.

Felicity rolled her eyes. “I heard everything anyway, and you will  _not_  throw in the towel to let some girl win. No Oliver,  _don’t_. If she’s so smart, she’ll beat you fair and square, don’t throw her an easy one just because she’s a girl.”

“I’m not doing it because she’s a  _girl_ , I’m doing it because I  _like_ her.”

“You’re not doing it  _at all_.”

“Okay.”

“Promise me.”

“…”

“Tom, promise me.”

“I promise,” he mumbled.

“Hey, sweetie don’t look sad. I promise you, if this girl is worth your time, she’ll like you even if you don’t let her win. Besides if you let her win, it’s like saying I don’t think you’re good enough to beat me…and no girl wants to hear that.”

“Yeah, Tom. Listen to your mother. She has great advice,” Oliver interrupted.

“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t think I’m finished with you Oliv-”

He cut her off with a kiss that she didn’t resist, so he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she kissed back with anger but love, and Tom whined.

“IN MY ROOM?”

“We made you, we can do whatever we want,” Felicity mumbled against Oliver’s lips and he picked her up in agreement and kissed her again.

“DADDY,” a voice came from the other room.

Oliver immediately dropped Felicity on her feet and walked towards his daughter’s room.

“Yeah sweetie.”

“I don’t want to go to school today,” his five year old stated.

“Okay, you don’t have to. Want to come with me to work?”

“WHAT,” Tom shouted in disbelief. “That’s not fair, dad. You said I have to go.”

“You have that spelling bee thing.”

“So, Savie can come and watch me.”

“If she doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to.”

“I don’t,” Savie told her father, and she lifted her arms up so he’d pick her up.

“Too bad,” Felicity stated. “You’re going.”

“No mommy, you ruin all the fun.”

“One of us has to be the responsible parent.”

“Excuse me,” Oliver interrupted, “I  _am_  responsible. I’m thinking about my angel’s mental state. I don’t want her to be all depressed and bored in school, she’ll have  _much_  more fun with daddy.”

“Or daddy will have much more fun with her.”

“Same thing.”

Felicity ignored her husband and advised her daughter to get ready.

“Okay, daddy can you make pancakes?”

“Sure, baby.”

“That’s not fair! I asked for pancakes and you said you were planning on making scrambled eggs and toast,” Tom whined.

“I’m daddy’s favourite,” Savannah replied.

“I  _know_. You’d think he’d make it a little less obvious,” Tom murmured as he made his way back down the stairs. Oliver planted a thousand kisses on his daughter’s head before he left her to get dressed. He made pancakes for his kids, and to make up for favouring his daughter, Oliver slipped his son some chocolate covered strawberries from the fridge when Felicity went to re-touch her make up.

They ate breakfast together, and then it was time for Oliver to head off to work.

“Come on guys, you know the deal.”

His daughter jumped into his arms and kissed him abundantly.

“Bye, daddy. I’m going to miss you so so so so so so soooooo much,” she said opening her arms wide to show him just how much she was going to miss him.

“I’ll miss you the most,” Oliver whispered into her hair kissing her lightly, and then he huffed in annoyance at his wife who was still trying to solve the sudoku puzzle, and his son who was reading the sport’s section of the newspaper.

“Does no one else care that I’m leaving for work?”

Silence

“Hello?”

“Yes, the Knights beat the Crows 112 to 109. Uncle Cisco lost the bet!”

“Tom!”

“Yeah dad?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Oh,” and then Tom stood on top of the chair so Oliver could lift him into his other hand. Oliver smiled and then lifted up his son.

“Now we’re only missing one more person.”

Felicity hadn’t noticed a thing. The pencil was in between her teeth now, and she squinted down at the paper.

“Four…no…six…no four, cause here if we put six then…no.”

Oliver looked at his wife for another second and rolled his eyes smiling and then turned to both of his kids and gave them “the nod.” and then at the same time they yelled,”EARTH TO MOM” and she finally looked up.

“Wha-Oh, you’re leaving?”

Oliver rolled his eyes and nodded but their kids responded for him.

“YES MOM.”

“Well then I guess it’s time to kiss daddy goodbye,” Felicity said getting up from her chair.

“Well actually it’s overdue,” Oliver replied.

“Do you want the kiss or not?”

“Yes ma’am. Now get over here.”

She walked over to him in the most sexy way possible…which was just walking. Okay, so Oliver found everything that his wife did to be sexy, you couldn’t really blame him though, she was the woman of his dreams.

“Ready,” Felicity asked her kids as she wrapped her arms around Oliver’s waist and they nodded their heads, “Okay, go.”

“Bye daddy,” the two kids said in unison when Felicity had already started kissing his lips.

“Mommy, you’re cheating,” Savannah whined.

“Catch up then,” Felicity managed to say in between kissing her husband, and the two children began to plant kisses all of their father’s cheeks. 

Oliver hated leaving home to go to work, but this part he loved. All of his family kissing him at the same time, these were moments Oliver lived for. Felicity  _was_  cheating though. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, something she never does when the kids are this close, but it was probably payback for giving Tom bad advice this morning. She probably thought that since the kids were so close that he wouldn’t respond to it, but  _she’s_  the responsible parent…not him. 

As she pulled her tongue out of his mouth slowly he bit her lower lip pulling her back in. She opened her eyes at the exact moment Oliver did, and she glared at him, but Oliver smiled not letting go. He pulled her back in and quickly slipped his tongue into her mouth and found  _her_ tongue. Their tongues duelled with each other for a little while before their son finally stopped kissing him, and Oliver quickly pulled his tongue out of her mouth, but not before evilly licking her lips to which she chuckled.

His daughter was still kissing his cheek, and counting to herself.

“Ninety-two…ninety-three…ninety-four.”

Oliver waited for her to get to a hundred and then placed both of his children on the ground.

“Be amazing. Do your best in the spelling bee and don’t get into trouble. Go watch your brother and cheer really loud for him. If any boy talks to you kick them where it hurts,” he instructed Tom and then Savie. 

They nodded their heads and Felicity rolled her eyes, “Okay, love you guys. Do well in school,” he said as he started to walk out of the kitchen grabbing his wife’s hand and bringing her towards the door.

“What instructions do you have for me Mr. Queen,” Felicity asked seductively.

“Kiss me,” he said smiling.

“Gladly,” she whispered against his lips and the two of them kissed again…and again…and again. She waved bye to him from the front door when he finally pulled his car out of the drive way and then he was off.

_Two and half hours until her death_

“There is nothing more boring than these meetings Alex,” Oliver complained.

“I know Oliver, but it’s part of the job,” he responded smiling.

“You know you seem to be enjoying this.”

“This?”

“Me being bored and exhausted.”

“It’s all about perspective,” he claimed as he left John and Oliver alone.

“He was totally happy wasn’t he?”

“Completely happy,” Dig responded.

“I hate that kid sometimes.”

“Sometimes. You’ve disliked him since he kissed Thea.”

“Behind my back, and besides the only one good enough for Speedy is Roy…and that’s only cause I like him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get this meeting over with.”

_One hour until her death_

“Mr. Queen, you have a call,” his assistant Miranda called to him after he finished the meeting.

“Tell them I’m busy?”

“It’s your wife.”

“Tell her I’m busy,” he said walking over to the phone smiling.

“I heard that,” she said.

“You were meant to,” he teased. “You  _know_  I want to talk to you. What’s up?”

“I might be working late tonight.”

“ _No_ , tonight is date night.”

“I know babe, but we have to get Japan to look over the blue prints for this nano tech stuff that Ray has been working on and-”

“I know, I know. How were the kids?”

“I dropped them off three hours ago. They only argued over whose turn it was to pick the radio station…the whole ride.”

Oliver chuckled, “And you ended up listening to crappy music anyway.”

“I don’t understand the obsession with Selena Gomez, and Austin Mahone. Why can’t they just listen to Pearl Jam? I’m praying that Tom will get over this pop phase by the end of the week.”

“You and me both. You know if he gets over it so will Savie.”

“That’s the plan.”

“How late will you be working tonight?”

“I’ll probably get home after dinner. Do me a favour and put Tom’s trophy on display?”

“He hasn’t even won yet.”

“He will.”

“How do you know?”

“He’s my son.”

“He’s my son too.”

“Right, well I’ve actually delayed the DNA test so-”

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m  _hysterical_ and you love me.”

“I  _do_ , but it looks like Miranda is dragging me into another meeting. I’ll call you after.”

“Okay, bye baby.”

“Bye. Love you.”

“Love you.”

_30 minutes until her death_

Oliver clicked his pen several times waiting for the meeting to end. Click. Click. Click.

_15 minutes until her death_

Oliver stepped out of his meeting and excused himself from everyone to make a call but his assistant stepped in front of him.

“Miranda. Five minutes, and then I’ll do whatever you want. Let me call my wife.”

“Mayor Queen, the board of public health is here and is asking about their new equipment and they want you to revise their standardised tests and-”

“It can wait five minutes.”

“OLIVER,” a voice called out. 

He turned around to see Alex looking panicked. 

“What what’s wrong?”

“You need to leave now.”

“But the board of,-” Miranda interrupted.

“No,  _now_.”

“What’s going on?”

Oliver followed Alex into the main room where the news was being televised live.

“A school shooting, at Star Elementary.”

Oliver and John looked at each other for a split second scared out of their minds while Alex threw them their individual keys.

“Go!”

They ran to their cars and drove as fast as they could, taking different routes in case one path would get them to their kids faster. It takes 25 minutes to reach their school from work but Oliver was determined to make it to his kids in time. 

_10 minutes until her death_

He called Lance using the bluetooth, and Lance told him they were already on the scene but the gunman was threatening to use hostages.

“I don’t give a damn. Get my kids out of there, and John’s too.”

“We’re doing what we can.”

“Do more. I’m almost there.”

“Oliver-”

“I don’t care. Get our kids out of there.”

He hung up and continued to break the speed limit.

_Seven minutes until her death_

Felicity was calling him.

“I’m going to get them baby.”

“Oliver, I’m so scared.”

“We’re going to get them. We’ll bring them home and watch movies all day.”

“I’m still scared.”

“I’m almost there.”

“Me too. I’m coming home after we pick them up. Screw the conference.”

“Okay, we’re going to be good. Everything is good.”

“Oliver don’t do that.”

“What?”

“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself.”

“I’m not. It’s good. We’re fine. Our kids are fine. We’re going to go home. Everything is fine,” Oliver kept saying as a tear fell on his cheek. He hung up, too scared to say anything else. He floored the gas pedal and turned the car into a different lane, he ignored the relentless horns that were beeping at him. This was a life or death situation, and the second option wasn’t an option.

_Four minutes until her death_

“DAMN IT,” he yelled at the car, “FASTER!”

_10 seconds until her death…nine…eight…seven…three…two…one. She’s dead._

Oliver sat in the driver seat of his car, almost at the school when he felt his heart break. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. He could feel it. He saw the police cars lined up and felt anger rise up in him. The school was another block away.

It normally took 25 minutes to drive from work to his kids’ school but today he got there in 17 minutes. He opened the car door, and didn’t even take the keys out of the ignition before he bolted towards the school.

Officers were standing in his way and he was pissed.

“MOVE,” he yelled in his angry voice which sounded much too much like the voice of The Hood, but he didn’t care. His family was in danger. Just then Dig showed up next to him, and tried to get through but the officers wouldn’t budge.

“GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY,” both Oliver and John screamed.

They didn’t. Both Oliver and John knocked a few officers out, but more formed a line behind them preventing them from entering the school.

“Mr. Mayor, they have hostages-”

“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT. OUR KIDS ARE IN THERE AND ARE IN DANGER.”

“The shots stopped firing. Everyone is safe now.”

That wasn’t enough for either of them. Oliver felt something in the car. Something was wrong.

“Let them through,”  a voice ordered. Neither Oliver or John looked back to thank Lance, they’d do that later when their families were home, instead they ran towards the school door only to find more officers guarding it.

“MOVE,” Oliver screamed, but then they were all swooped away in lighting speed.

“Just heard what happened,” Barry said. “We just got the news.”

“Us too,” Clark said.

Oliver and John turned to find Superman, Hawkgirl, Speedy, Black Canary, White Canary, Arsenal, Batman, The Atom, Green Lantern, Nightwing and the entire Justice League behind them.

“Sorry, we’re a little late,” Diana said. 

“The news sucks,” Kara explained.

“Go,” Bruce said. “Get your kids.”

Oliver and John pushed the doors open and raced to their kids classrooms, but as they passed through the halls they noticed that each one was empty.

“Oliver?”

“I don’t know.”

They continued to walk through the barren hallways, and with each step Oliver’s heart rate sped up.

“Oh thank god,” a voice came from the end of the hallway.

It was Sara’s math teacher.

“Mrs. Gallagher?”

“It’s fine. Some of the kids are in the auditorium.”

“Where are the rest,” John asked.

“The gym.”

“Why are they split up?”

“Opposite sides of the school. The shooter came in and started firing randomly. Kids were pulled into the largest rooms on opposite sides of the building. John, I saw Sara. She’s fine, scared, but she’s safe.”

“Anyone else,” John asked.

“I don’t know. I only saw Sara on my way out. We didn’t hear anymore gunshots for a few minutes, so I thought maybe it was over and I told the teachers in the auditorium to keep the kids as calm as possible, while I went out to check. I heard footsteps and-”

She started to sob.

“I thought you were him.”

“Hey, it’s okay Samantha,” Oliver said using her first name. “We think it’s over, but we’ll check first.”

“No need,” another voice came.

“Captain Lance,” Samantha cried. “Is it-”

“He’s dead. We let the paramedics in beforehand. They saw him in the back. The last shot he fired was to kill himself. A few injured kids have been taken to the hospital and-”

“And,” Oliver questioned.

“Seven children are dead.”

“Son of a bitch,” John muttered.

Oliver’s heart sank. He needed to find his kids.

“I’m gonna-”

“Let’s go,” John finished.

They ran to the auditorium first where they knew Sara was, and hoped their other kids were their as well. Quentin followed behind them. As soon as they knocked on the locked auditorium door the children began to cry in fear.

“Shh, it’s okay,” teachers called out.

Oliver raised his voice,” THIS IS MAYOR QUEEN. IT’S OKAY. IT’S SAFE NOW. THE SHOOTING IS OVER. CAPTAIN LANCE OF THE SCPD AND JOHN DIGGLE ARE WITH ME.”

The children’s cries stopped and then they heard shuffling of feet, and then the door was opened. It was the assistant principal, Miss. Cusack.

“Mayor Queen.”

“Linda, are my kids in here?”

“Tom is.”

“Savie?”

“She’s not on this side. Maybe the gym.”

“Thanks.”

They made their way into the auditorium and Sara and Andy both ran into John’s arms. Both of his kids were safe. According to Linda, Tom was in here too, which meant that throughout the shooting Savie was by herself. She was alone. Oliver made his way through the auditorium and found his son at the far end.

“Dad,” he cried and then jumped into his father’s arms. “Daddy, Savie’s not here. I don’t-”

“She’s in the gym, on the other side of the school. They couldn’t fit all the kids in the same place,”

“Let’s go get her,” Tom said and Oliver nodded getting off of his knees.

Then parents were rushing into the room, and they both saw blonde locks running towards them.

“Tom, sweetie,” Felicity cried out as she kissed his cheeks repeatedly. “Where’s Sav?”

“The gym,” Oliver answered. “Kids were separated, so they pulled them into the biggest rooms in opposite sides of the school and locked the doors.”

“Our baby girl was all alone?”

“She’s a strong girl. Let’s go get her.”

Children were clinging to their parents as they walked out of the school, and the halls were crowded and frantic.

“Some of the kids are in the gym,” Principal Turner had stated.

Oliver picked up Tom, and extended his free arm for Felicity to hold while they walked through the hallway. They spotted John and Lyla with Sara and Andy.

“Savannah,” Lyla asked.

“She’s in the gym,” Oliver responded. “We’re gonna get her now.”

“We’ll wait outside,” John called as they started to walk away with their kids.

Before they reached the hall to the gym, they were stopped by Savannah’s art teacher.

“Oliver, Felicity,” she cried.

“Hey, Julia. We’re gonna get Savie. Is everything okay?”

“Oh, Oliver,” she sobbed.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s gone.”

Oliver’s heart sank, and so did Felicity’s. They both knew what that meant, but he couldn’t accept it. He wouldn’t.

“What do you mean?”

“Savannah. I tried. She’s-”

“No. NO.  **NO**.”

“Oliv-”

“NO!”

It seems like Felicity had already accepted the news, and Oliver felt sick as he watched her slide to the floor sobbing. Tom was so scared and he just looked at his mother.

“Savie ran away,” he asked.

Yes. A must better explanation. She wandered off. That’s it.

“You stay here with mommy kiddo. I’m going to go get your sister.”

He searched the entire gym nine times, before Lance came in.

“Oliver, we just got word-”

“ **NO**.”

“Look, they just want you to go to the morgue and verify if it is her.”

“It’s not. She ran away. Put out a missing persons report and we’ll give away reward money. A hundred thousand dollars or more.”

“Oliver.”

“QUENTIN.”

“I’ll put out the report. Just…just do what they ask and go to the morgue. If it’s not her-”

“IT’S NOT.”

“Okay, when it’s not her…I’ll put out the report.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll take Tom home if you and Felicity need some time.”

“John’s outside.”

“So is the rest of the Justice League.”

“They didn’t leave?”

“They wanted to make sure your kids were okay before flying off…or well you know.”

“…”

“Go back to your wife.”

Oliver felt a lump form in the back of his throat and he swallowed it. His girl was alive. His little girl was alive. He just knew it-but he didn’t. He knew something went wrong…he just…no…she’s alive.

When Oliver walked back to his wife and son with Lance, Felicity was still lying on the floor crying, but she was shaking now.

“Felicity,” Oliver said weakly. “Felicity, honey, get up.”

She managed to put herself in a seated position after some time and Oliver knelt down to her level and wrapped his arms around her.

“Hey,” he whispered into her hair. “She’s okay. She’s okay.”

Felicity clung to him and just kept crying. He lifted her up in his arms, and Quentin took Tom by the hand and they walked out of the building. Oliver needed to know that Savannah wasn’t in the morgue. He could deal with her being kidnapped, but not…

“Oliver,” John called out when he saw Felicity in his arms and Tom without Savannah.

“Where’s-” Lyla started.

“They  _claim_  she’s gone,” Oliver replied, and then everyone from the Justice League took a step forward.

“Oliver,” Thea said weakly.

“Claim,” Oliver repeated. “I know she’s not,” Oliver lied. “We have to go make sure though. Speedy can you take Tom back with you and Roy. We’ll come get him when we find her.”

“Find her,” Clark asked.

“She probably ran out during the shooting. She’s a smart girl.”

“Oliver, she  _is_  but-” Hal started.

“Go,” Bruce interrupted. “Go and make sure what you think is true.”

“I’m here for you,” Barry reassured him.

“Go home to Iris, Bar. She’s pregnant.”

“She’ll understand.”

“Go, we’re fine,” Oliver replied and then he turned to his son who had tears streaming down his face.

“Hey, buddy. Can you go with Aunt Thea and Uncle Roy?”

He nodded and blinked away tears. Oliver wished he could’ve comforted his son, but Felicity was still in his arms with her face buried in his neck, with tears streaming down her face as well.

“Hey, kiddo, what’s wrong?”

“Where’s Savie?”

“I don’t know right now, but I’m going to go get her back.”

“Promise?”

“I prom-” he would’ve finished the word if Felicity hadn’t looked up and shook her head no to him.

“Tom, baby, go with Thea,” she choked out.

“Don’t cry mommy.”

She didn’t even nod, she just turned back into Oliver’s neck and gripped his shirt even tighter than before.

“I’ll drive you,” Dig said as Tom was carried away by Roy.

“No.”

“Oliver, you need someone to drive you,” Bruce argued.

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t, and neither will Felicity. Alfred came with me. He can drive the two of you. He’s already in your car, you left the keys in.”

“…”

“Oliver,” Diana prodded. “Let Alfred drive the two of you.”

“We’ll take another car,” Oliver agreed. He already knew what would happen at the morgue, but he couldn’t believe it…however they would have to deal with it afterwards.

“I’ll tell Alfred to switch cars,” Caitlin left.

“I’ll go with her and drive yours back to your place,” Ronnie said following her.

Cisco hadn’t said a word. He didn’t have to. He had gotten so good with his vibing now that he could look at a person and see things without even touching them. He knew the fate of their daughter. So did Clark, and Kara, and Diana, and everyone else on the Justice League who had super vision…and the ones on the Justice League who didn’t and just…knew.

The car ride to the morgue was quiet apart from Felicity’s sobs, and Oliver’s occasional reassurances. Alfred had rolled up the partition so the two could have some privacy, but neither of them felt like talking. Oliver wanted to explode. 

Oliver could barely get Felicity out of the car, but with a little bit of prodding she stumbled into his arms.

“Come on,” he whispered. “Let’s just get this over with and go find our baby. Quentin said he’d put out a missing person’s report, and I’ll make an announcement later. I’ll hold a press conference or something. We’ll get her back.”

She said nothing and kept her eyes on the ground as the two of them walked into the morgue.

“Mr. and Mrs. Queen,” a young woman said.

“Yes, we’ve been asked to verify a body.”

“The body of your daughter?”

“It’s not her, but yeah. We need to see it.”

The woman slowly nodded her head and walked them over to the table. “Ready,” she asked.

Felicity turned her head away from the covered body and into Oliver’s chest, so he just nodded for the both them. She lifted the covers and he wasn’t ready.

“ **NO**!!!”

Felicity hadn’t turned to see the body, but Oliver’s voice had confirmed their worst fear…their baby girl was gone.

“My baby,” Oliver cried allowing the tears to pour out from his eyes, and once they started they couldn’t stop. “My baby girl, my angel.”

Savannah didn’t even look like Savannah, she looked pale, and cold, and their were bullet holes in her body…and one in the side of her head. He shot her four times. His little girl was shot to death.

He couldn’t hold Felicity any longer, he wrenched himself out of her grip and practically fell on top of his daughter’s body. He picked up the cold corpse which used to hold so much warmth and life, and tugged her closer to him. He cried into her lifeless body, and kissed her ice cold cheeks.

“No, wake up. Wake up. Please sweetheart wake up.”

He knew it was irreversible but he had to try, he had to do something. He sobbed into her mangled body, and held onto her lifeless form for as long as he could.

“Savannah, please baby, please wake up. For daddy. Daddy needs you to get up. Please angel, please,” he kept pleading with her. He crashed against his daughter’s lifeless body and Felicity followed suit.

They both sobbed for what seemed like an eternity before Quentin came walking through the doors.

“SCPD,” he stated to the lady hovering over them.

“Oliver-”

“You were right,” Oliver croaked.

“My baby,” Felicity whimpered.

“She needs to be cleaned. Her wounds-” Quentin tried.

“I can get on that,” the woman above them said.

“NO,” Oliver and Felicity said simultaneously. “We’ll do it.”

The lady offered them the tools and they took it. Oliver wiped away the dried blood off his daughter’s face while Felicity, tended to cleaning the bullet wound. Other parents were piling in now, and they were just as helpless as Oliver and Felicity were. Oliver lifted his hand and curled her tiny fingers around his thumb, praying for a miracle, praying that she would squeeze back like she always did but there was nothing. 

The walk back to the car was a blur, other than the tears streaming down his and his wife’s face. Alfred was standing outside, and he held the door open for the two of them, and gave them a curt nod before he entered the driver’s seat. The partition was still rolled up but there was no need. Felicity and Oliver didn’t say anything the whole ride.

Quentin called Thea for them and asked her to bring Tom back to the Queens’ place. They needed to tell him. He had a right to know what happened to his baby sister. Felicity kept her head in her hands as she cried, while Oliver stared out the window. They were near the school again, and a huge crowd of protestors were outside the school.

Apparently the shooter was a white male who had lost his son, so in order to take revenge he did this. Even though he was dead, he wasn’t claimed to be a criminal. Against Quentin’s protest, the police station wrote his act of violence off as an act of insanity because he wasn’t in the right mental state.

The protestors were screaming justice for all. Some had signs that said if the shooter was black they’d ask to shoot the dead man for the sake of it. Oliver agreed. It was wrong, and normally as Mayor he’d do something about it, or speak up for the people but today he lost his voice. He lost his hope. e lost his happiness. He couldn’t lead the city, he could barely lead himself. Just this morning he was kissing his little girl goodbye and-which cheek did she kiss him on? How could he not remember? Think Oliver, think!

Right or left? Think! Tears were rolling down his face faster. How could he forget? He opened his mouth to ask Felicity but all that came out was his screams that he had muffled for too long.

“MY ANGEL, MY LITTLE GIRL!”

Oliver’s outburst gave Felicity the courage she needed to let her cries be heard. Alfred could hear them, but he didn’t roll down the partition, he let the parents grieve their child. Oliver shifted closer to Felicity and held his wife as they both screamed finally giving voice to their cries. Twenty minutes later they were home, and their faces were red and blotchy. Tom was standing on the stairs with Thea and Roy smiling. He didn’t know. How were the supposed to tell him that they didn’t bring his little sister home? How were they supposed to tell him that she would never come home again?

Felicity wiped at her face, but Oliver didn’t dare. The traces of his daughter’s lips were somewhere on his face. Even if it washed away with his tears, he wouldn’t wipe it away willingly with his hands.

“Where’s Sav,” Tom asked when Felicity opened the door, before either of them got out of the car.

“Tom,” Thea started.

“Where’s Savie,” Tom tried again, and Alfred rushed to Felicity’s side so she wouldn’t collapse on the floor again. Oliver walked around the car, and held onto his wife, and the two made their way into the house leaving their son’s question unanswered.

Tom followed them into the living room along with Thea and Roy.

“Where’s Savie,” Tom asked a third time.

“Tom, she’s gone,” Roy finally answered his eyes filling with tears.

“Where?”

“Heaven, sweetie,” Thea replied through her tears.

“NO! She’s not. She’s-” Tom looked to his parents for a better explanation, but he saw their broken faces, and ran to them crying. “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!”

Oliver held onto his son as Thea rushed forward trying to soothe him. Felicity hadn’t moved. She stared at the ground in defeat. She didn’t wrap her arms around their son, or give into her husband’s embrace, or look into the eyes of her in laws who were there for comfort as well as to grieve. She did what se could do so that she wouldn’t lose it. She started at the floor, the floor which her daughter had stepped on. She wore her favourite shoes to school today, the green high tops they bought from Target.

_One year ago:_

_“Mommy, please!”  
_

_“Savannah, they’re too big.”  
_

_“I want them!”  
_

_“Why don’t you get the red ones? They’re your size.”  
_

_“My favourite colour is green!”  
_

_“Since when?”  
_

_“Always. Please! Pretty please with cherries on top?”  
_

_“Fine. We’ll buy them, but you can only wear them next year.”  
_

_“Okay.”  
_

_Later that day…_

_“Daddy, I bought the nicest shoes today.”  
_

_“Can I see?”  
_

_“Not yet, mommy says I can only wear them next year.”  
_

_“Why?”  
_

_“Because,” Felicity explained, “You’re daughter insisted on buying the shoes that were too big for her.”  
_

_“Why?”  
_

_“It’s my favourite colour,” she giggled running away to tell her brother.  
_

_“What-”  
_

_“Green,” Felicity replied,”Like your costume green.”  
_

_Oliver’s smile had never been so wide, “It’s not a costume, it’s a suit,” he mumbled._

_“Yeah, yeah. It’s a good thing you’re her favourite superhero.”  
_

_“I’m glad she likes the Green Arrow.”  
_

_“The Green Arrow isn’t her favourite superhero hon,” she said kissing him, “You are.”_

Tears streamed down Felicity face, as she fought hard to breathe properly. She knew that Oliver’s eyes were on her, but she couldn’t look into those eyes. Those eyes which were the same as Savannah’s. Felicity got up and left the house without a word to anyone.

After finally setting Tom down in bed three hours later, and letting Thea and Roy go, Felicity still hadn’t come back home. She left her phone in the living room. Oliver knew she needed space and that everything in this house reminded them of Savannah but that’s exactly why Oliver didn’t leave. He hadn’t said goodbye yet. Oliver walked back up the stairs and opened the door to Savannah’s bedroom. Only this morning, she had claimed that she was her father’s favourite and he was peppering her face with a million kisses, and yet he still couldn’t remember which cheek she had kissed him on.

He closed the door behind him, and took in the scent of the room. Everything smelled like her, everything looked like her, felt like her, he could practically see his daughter curled up on her bed asking him to read her a bedtime story.

He walked over to the small bookshelf opposite of her bed and picked up her favourite book, I Love You Forever by Robert Munch. It was a book that Moira used to read to Thea as a child, and after having Tom Thea gifted a copy of it to them so that Oliver and Felicity could read it to their children. He hadn’t even noticed he was still crying until a tear rolled off his cheek and landed on the cover of the book. He slowly walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down where he normally did when he read the story to her.

His voice was hoarse when he began to read…“A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…”

His voice shook with his cries as he began to read her favourite words, “I…I…”

He had to pull himself together, he had to get the words out. “I love you forever…I like you for…always…as long as I’m living…my baby…my baby…my baby you will be,” he closed the book unable to continue and rocked himself back and forth as he cried over her pillow. The pillow where her tiny head should have been laying, where her blonde locks should have been sprawled out over, where her right hand should be raised, he lay there and took in the scent of the shampoo Felicity scrubbed into her hair yesterday.

He slid across her bed, and lay next to where she would’ve, and cried into the spare pillow. He reached his arm out for where his daughter’s body would’ve been and imagined that he wrapped his arms around her torso.

“I love you,” he whispered, “I love you so much baby girl.”

Oliver cried himself to sleep. When he woke up it was late. Oliver went downstairs begrudgingly, and made his way to the kitchen. His son was nibbling on a pop tart and Felicity had burned something on the stove. There were four plates set at the table, and Savannah’s glass of apple juice was poured into her light blue glass, and placed in front of her empty chair.

“Hey Oliver,” Felicity said brightly.

“Felic-”

“I know! I know! I’m a horrible cook, but I just wanted to try this recipe. It looked easy enough, but I guess I’m just not made for the kitchen. Finish up your breakfast you two. Daddy needs to go to work soon, so hurry up.”

“Felicity.”

“I’m just gonna wash up the dishes. DAMN IT. There’s this stupid stain that won’t get off this plate. I’ve soaked it for about an hour, but nothing,” she scrubbed at the plate furiously in front of the sink.

“Felicity.”

“NO! This STUPID PLATE! I almost have it…almost…almost…almost…FUCK,” she screamed and threw the wet plate into the sink. The plate shattered into a million pieces and Oliver and Felicity were close enough that a few shards flew into the air and prickled against their skin. She looked down into the sink, away from her husband and sobbed. He turned around gently and she buried herself into his chest trembling with fear that she had gone too far…especially in front of her son, she wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist praying that he would hold her back. When his arms gripped her back, she whispered apologies into his chest over and over again kissing him.

“It’s okay,” he whispered letting tears spill onto his cheeks,“It’s okay.”

Felicity looked up at the ceiling, past it into the heavens, and shouted, “Take away the stain!!! Not my baby! My baby, my ba-”

“Shh,” Oliver whispered,“I know.”

Tom got up from the table and wrapped his arms around his mother’s waist.

“I miss her too mommy.”

Felicity tunred away from Tom and pushed her face further into Oliver’s body.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me,” Oliver prodded.

She stared at his chest.

“Look at me. My face.”

“No.”

“Felicity.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“She-she-she had your eyes,” Felicity sobbed. “You’re beautiful perfect eyes. She had them,” Felicity cried even harder. “Had, not has.”

Oliver closed his eyes and hated his eyes for a split second but he couldn’t because he passed them on to his daughter, his beautiful daughter, and now she was gone. Oliver walked the three of them into the living room, and they sat on the couch for some time. When Tom turned the tv on to distract them it was on a channel that Tom and Savannah would watch and Savie’s favourite show was playing. As soon as Felicity heard the voices of the animated characters, she pulled out of Oliver’s embrace and ran to the bedroom closing the door as she entered.

Oliver sat there and watched Savie’s favourite tv show. He smiled whenever he knew she would and laughed out loud just like she would. By the time the show ended, Oliver could picture her lying down and stretching her arms above her head. He looked over at Tom and knew that he was picturing the same thing as well, when he started to shift slightly giving imaginary Savannah the room she needed to stretch. Oliver motioned for Tom to koin him on the couch and he hesitated but after a moment he did. They continued to watch tv some time, because it was another way that they could both pretend that Savannah was still around. The next show that came on was one of the Superhero shows that Savannah scoffed at in the beginning because it was about a guy who was bitten by a radioactive spider-Spiderman. She said that never happens to real superheroes, and Barry would tell her I became the Flash because of an accident in my lab, and then she agreed that Superheroes did have weird origin stories.

“You’re right. I mean daddy went to an island to become a superhero.”

Oliver thought back to the day he found out that Savannah knew his secret. She was three years old. Apparently her and her brother have known for quite some time, and they hadn’t told a soul but each other. It was one of the scariest days of Oliver’s life to be honest. _Savannah was kidnapped, and held hostage for money. Oliver had to stand up at a damn podium and give a short speech as mayor asking for his daughter back before he could go and find the son of a bitch who took his daughter. By the time Oliver finished his monolouge Felicity already had an address, and he changed into his suit quickly and all he saw was red. If anything had happened to his little girl, he would murder the son of a bitch slowly…and painfully, very painfully. When he got to the abandoned warehouse, he severely injured way too many guards, and finally found the person who was holding his daughter, Oliver forced him up against the wall of the warehouse, and demanded to know where Savannah was. Oliver broke the man’s leg just because and made his way to where she was._

_“Savannah Queen,” he sighed in relief a little too happily. She was sitting in a plastic chair which was still too high so her legs were dangling in the air and she kept kicking them back and forth looking around the room in the dark as she did so._

_“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” Savannah replied._

_“I’m here to save you honey. I’m taking you back to your parents.”_

_Oliver shuffled around a room and found a light switch, and Savannah’s face immediately lit up._

_“Hello Mr. Green Arrow,” she said with a smug look on her face._

_“…Hello. I thought you’re not supposed to talk to strangers,” Oliver said a little disappointed that she didn’t follow the rules very well._

_“I’m not. I’m talking to you.”_

_“I’m not a stranger?”_

_“No, you know my mommy. You always save her.”_

_“I always will,” Oliver muttered under his breath.“Ready to go?”_

_Oliver held out his arms and Savannah slid off the chair, and practically ran into them. “Yes.”_

_“We’re going to have to go through the window okay? The door is a little…broken,” he reflected on all of the blood and bodies, he left near the door. Living bodies, but still he didn’t want his daughter to have to see that. She nodded and he opened the window, and used his “Grasping arrow,” and waited for it to attach firmly to another building across the street. When he heard the clatter of the arrow hit against the building he tugged on the string and made sure it was tight._

_“Ready?”_

_She nodded her head and soon the two of them were sliding in the air to another building. Savannah wasn’t scared of heights like her mother, no she was the exact opposite. She loved being in thee air, and looking down on everything because she claimed she could she the whole world. Savannah however did have Ornithophobia, and to Oliver’s dismay three birds had rested themselves on the zipline that Oliver and his daughter were gliding across. She looked up from the ground immediately, and tightened her hold on Oliver. **  
**_

_“Birds, daddy, birds,” she screamed in fear._

_Oliver almost dropped them both right there, but thankfully he had a tight grip on her from the beginning, so after a second he replied,“ It’s okay baby. Close your eyes, I’ll get rid of them.”_

_“What if they hurt you?”_

_“Can anyone hurt daddy?”_

_“No,” she whispered into Oliver’s side._

_“Exactly, and Daddy won’t let anyone or anything hurt his baby girl, so close your eyes.”_

_When they crossed the zipline and made their way to the ledge of the other building Oliver let go, and he landed safely with his daughter in his arms. He put her down, and after a second she let go of Oliver’s suit and took a few steps back. Oliver knelt down so that he was eye level with her._

_“Savie?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“How long did you know Daddy was the Green Arrow?”_

_“Umm,” she tapped her fingers on her chin. “A hundred thousand million billion trillion thousand hundred million trillion zillion million minutes. I think.”_

_Oliver smiled at the undiscovered number, “That long huh?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“How did you find out?”_

_“You kissed mommy when you saved her that one time.”_

_“When?”_

_“Remember before Tommy went to Kinjergeren?”_

_“Kindergarden?”_

_She nodded._

_“Wait! Weren’t the two of you supposed to be in bed by then?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Why weren’t you?”_

_“We missed mommy and you. Aunt Raisa told us to sleep but we couldn’t, so we came down to help look for mommy and then we saw the green arrow kissing mommy.”_

_“You weren’t angry?”_

_“No because it was you.”_

_“How did you know?”_

_“Mommy doesn’t kiss anyone except you and me and Tom.”_

_Oliver smiled at his children’s detective skills and instincts._

_“Okay Sherlock,” Oliver said as she yawned. “Ready to go home?”_

_She nodded already lifting her arms so Oliver could pick her up._

_They were about fifteen minutes away from home when Savannah asked that they stop._

_“What’s the matter?”_

_“Can we have ice cream? Pretty please?”_

_And that’s how the Green Arrow ended up saving Savannah Queen and was found taking her into an ice cream parlour with a very long line._

_“EXCUSE ME EVERYBODY,” Savannah shouted when she entered. Oliver who was carrying his daughter, as the Green Arrow, looked up at his daughter._

_“CAN WE GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE PLEASE? I WAS KIDNAPPED AND THE GREEN ARROW SAVED ME. I WANT ICE CREAM BEFORE I GO HOME…PLEASE. ALSO MY DAD IS THE MAYOR AND MY MOM IS FELICITY SMOAK.”_

_Laughter erupted from the entire parlour and everyone let Oliver to the front. She chose cookies and cream ice cream, something the whole family could enjoy, and didn’t eat it until the next day as she fell asleep on the ride home._

Felicity didn’t come out of the room until dinner, and when she did she had a small smile fixed on her face. She was trying. For Tom. After a quiet dinner, the door bell rang. After the breakfast incident, Nyssa and Sara came over and helped around the house while Felicity stayed upstairs and Oliver and Tom watched Savie’s favourite shows. However, Oliver had told them to go home and rest before dinner, so now one of them had to open the door. Felicity made a motion to get up but Oliver waved her down, and headed towards the door. He didn’t want to see anyone, especially reporters, so when he opened the door with an extremely angry face he wasn’t surprised when the crying woman looked scared. She had a little boy with her, his arms wrapped around her leg, the boy was probably the same age as Savannah was. Was.

“Hello,” Oliver said tentatively.

“Hi,” the woman managed to choke out in between her tears. “I just wanted to thank you and tell you how horribly sorry I am.”

“Thank you, and why are you thanking me?”

“Your daughter, bless her heart, she saved my son’s life.”

Oliver froze.

“Can I come in please?”

Oliver moved aside so the two could make their way inside.

Oliver led them to the living room and asked them to sit while he asked Felicity and Tom to join him. As they all sat down the woman started to talk but a swarm of tears filled her eyes and all she could get out was, “Thank you so much for your little girl. Thank you. She’s so brave.”

Oliver and Felicity just nodded waiting for her to continue but she just cried for a bit longer.

“What happened Josh,” Tom asked the boy.

Josh looked scared, but took a deep breath and retold the story.

“We were in the gym and the bad guy was in the hallway and he was shooting people, I was outside at first for recess and the teachers told us to run and get in the gym fast. I was already scared, and I wasn’t I couldn’t breathe properly. My inhaler was in the classroom. Savannah told me to breathe and everything would be fine. She said the Green Arrow would come.”

Oliver’s heart sank. His daughter was expecting him to come and save the day. His daughter needed him, and he…he failed her.

“We waited for a long time but nothing happened, and then the bad guy was shooting things. Then we heard a girl scream, and everyone started crying, but not Savie. She was trying to calm everyone down. She said if we cried loudly the bad guy would find us and shoot down the door. She was being a big girl. I couldn’t breathe right for a long time, so Savannah asked me which class I was in. I told her and she asked me which desk and I told her. She went to the changing room when the teachers were looking. I didn’t think she left but she did. She came back with my inhaler, and told me to stay in the back so the teachers wouldn’t see it and know she left.”

Josh wiped tears away from his eyes,“ She saved me. The doctor said I didn’t have enough oxygen and if I didn’t have my inhaler with me I probably would’ve died or had brain damage.” His mother sobbed, and the Queens said nothing but kept looking at Josh to continue.

“She left again. There’s a small door in the changing room. She told me that’s how she left and got my inhaler. She said she saw a girl bleeding in the hallway. She said that she needed to help the girl, and all of the teachers are too scared to try. I asked her why she wasn’t scared and she said because she’s a Queen. I asked her what that meant and she said that in her family sometimes you have to give up your safety to make sure other people have theirs. She told me to keep breathing from my inhaler, said not to tell the teachers, and then she left. We heard more gun shots. She never came back.”

Savannah Queen had sacrificed her own safety, her own life, to help another. Oliver wasn’t a hero. Savannah was. After Josh and his mother left, Felicity slumped back to the bedroom, and Oliver watched Tom walk to his room slowly. He pulled out his phone and pressed send.

“Barry? How fast can you be here?”

Seven minutes later, Barry zoomed into his living room.

“I know what you’re going to ask and the answer is yes.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“Yes to what,” Felicity asked. Neither of them had noticed her coming downstairs.

“I’ll go back in time,” Barry started.

“NO.”

Oliver and Barry turned to look at Felicity with puzzled expressions on their faces.

“Honey, if Barry-”

“Goes back in time, he might be able to save Savie.”

“Not might Lis, I will, I promise.”

“No.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN  **NO** ,” Oliver yelled.

“Oliver, no.”

“Why the hell  _not_ ,” he gritted.

“Do you really want this to happen to someone else? You know that when Bar messes with the time zones things happen…not all of them good”

“We can save Sav-”

“And end up with another kid killed. No good will come out of this.”

“We’ll get our daughter back.”

“Someone else will lose theirs…or their son. We might lose Tom, John and Lyla could lose either of their kids or both.”

“I don’t see why you don’t want to try.”

“I want to! This is killing me, Oliver. I’m trying to cope. I can’t even be in this house. Everything reminds me of her. That’s why I stay in our room. I bury my face in your pillow and try to forget what happened, I lie down in bed and cry and then I remember that this is exactly where we made her. You were the one I made her with. I’m not leaving you, or Tom. I can’t let someone else live like this. I’m not putting them through this pain. I’m not going to be that selfish, no matter how much I want to.”

“Then Bar, you can get him before the shooting starts.”

“It won’t work Oliver. There was no connection between the shooter and his intentions until the first shot was fired. If the Flash gets involved before something even happens, he’ll get sued or convicted. There is no way out of this Oliver. I’m trying to cope,” her voice broke. “Why can’t you?”

“I can’t live without her,” Oliver whispered.

“I can’t either. Which is why I’m not going to try, but we have a son. We have to survive. For him.” Tears rolled down Felicity’s face and she turned on her heels and walked back upstairs.

Oliver didn’t even know if he could survive anymore.

“I’ll still do it if you want. I’ll take the risk,” Barry offered.

Oliver looked at him, and both of them made their decision.

“Okay, stand back.”

Barry’s phone rang, and Oliver told him to pick it up.

“What happened?”

“Zoom.”

“He’s back.”

“He has Iris.”

“Go.”

“Savannah.”

“He has Iris, and your unborn daughter. Go save them. Do what I couldn’t.”

“I’ll come back when I’m done.”

“I know. Go.”

There was a red streak and Barry was gone.

Oliver walked upstairs and passed the master room. He knew that Felicity needed to stay away from all things Savannah for a while but he couldn’t bring himself to that. He walked into Savannah’s room and knelt by her bed and began to cry.

“I’m so sorry,” he choked out after some time. “I’m so sorry. I failed you. I failed you. I failed my own daughter. I’m so sorry angel. You were waiting…you thought…and I failed…I failed…I FAILED,” he shook with his tears until sleep overcame him.

The next morning when he awoke he called Barry’s cell immediately. It went to voicemail. He called again. The same thing happened. He called Iris next and on the second ring she picked up.

“Iris,” he croaked, his voice sore from screaming and crying.

“Oliver,” her voice sounded hoarse too and he knew immediately that something went wrong.

“What-”

“Zoom took Barry.”

“What?”

“Barry got here in time, and he saved me, but then Zoom went after Don. He saved Don. He saved our son, and then Cisco helped us but Zoom…Zoom took Barry. He’s missing.”

“We’ll find him.”

“He told me he was going to go back and save Savie. He will. When we find him, he will.”

“You just rest Iris. Don’t stress too much. It’s not good for the baby. We’ll find him.”

“Thanks. Cisco already called Clark. Diana and Bruce are recruiting some of the Justice League.”

“I’ll come too.”

“No. Focus on your family.”

“Okay,” he said as he watched Tom walk down the stairs. “Iris-”

“You have to go. Me too. Don’s scared. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Tom opened the front door and walked to get the newspaper but froze on the first page. Oliver knew what he saw.

“We’ll get him back, buddy, don’t worry.”

Tom ate his breakfast and went back to his room to play with his Flash action figure that he got for Christmas four years ago.

“I wish they had a Savannah doll,” Tom mumbled under his breath, but Oliver caught on to what he said. Oliver wanted to respond but…there were no words. Tom missed his sister, his best friend, his partner in crime and partner in crime fighting. He needed her just as much as Oliver and Felicity did, and he was experiencing this loss at such a young age. His thoughts were interrupted by his wife kissing him.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t care anymore. I was trying to be good. I was trying to sacrifice my happiness so others would have theirs but I can’t. Call Barry. I want to do it.”

“Felicity-”

“I’m sorry. Just call him. I want my baby back.”

Oliver handed her the paper and the first page read

FLASH MISSING IN CRISIS.

“Jesus Christ,” she cried and slid to the floor. Oliver tried to hold her, to be strong for her, but he was slipping too.

“This isn’t fair!!”

“I know, sweetheart, I know.”

“Why the hell is this happening? What the hell did we do to deserve this? What the hell did she do? She’s innocent!”

“I know baby.”

Felicity made a move to kiss him on his cheek when he pulled away, he felt ashamed but-

“Your left one. She kissed your left cheek. She was on my right,” Felicity told him. He offered his right cheek to her, and she kissed it. He sat there and held her until John and Lyla Diggle came into their kitchen.

“Hey,” Lyla whispered.

“Hey,” they both said.

“John. What’s wrong? You look pissed,” Felicity asked.

“Damn reporters want a statement from the mayor.”

Oliver got up and John tried to stop him.

“You don’t-”

“Are they still outside? John?”

He nodded. Oliver walked to the door and immediately reporters were storming him questions. Oliver held up his hand took a breath and spoke.

“What happened was an act of terror. The sick son of a bitch murdered children. Seven children. You already know who they are and you know that one of them was my daughter. I can’t help this city. I couldn’t help my daughter. I can barely help myself. I resign.” Oliver finished and thousands of camera flashes went off and questions erupted. Oliver turned and closed his front door. He walked back to his wife.

“Oliver, you didn’t fail-”

“Yes. Yes I did. I promised the day we found out you were pregnant with Tom that I would never let anything happen to our kids. I failed. Barry’s missing so we’re going to have to plan a funeral…at least until he gets back.”

“That’s already taken care of,” Lyla spoke softly.

“You didn’t have-”

“We’re her godparents,” John said.

They nodded.

“It’s being held tomorrow. There are a couple of funerals today.”

Felicity got up, “We’re attending them. They lost their kids too. We’re mourning our daughter, we’re doing the same with the rest.”

All of the funeral preparation was taken care of by Team Arrow, Team Flash, and every member of the Justice League. Oliver didn’t get along with all of them, but everyone loved Felicity, Tom, and Savannah. Hal used to joke that these kids just couldn’t be Oliver’s, and that Savannah was everyone’s personal angel. She was. There wasn’t a person known who didn’t like her. It explained why everyone lit up when she was around, and it also explained why her funeral was a full house.

There was a priest and a rabbi. They didn’t know what to do. She was supposed to choose after she turned eighteen, but since she never would the team decided on both. Everyone was crying and wishing her their best, some said I know you’re watching us, others said you’re in a better place, others said you light the sky, and anger rose in Oliver with each word. He shouldn’t have to hear this. He shouldn’t be at his daughter’s funeral. She was supposed to be at his funeral. This.This was all wrong.

On the right side of her grave flowers were lain, and on the left side rocks. Oliver decided to take Felicity and Tom to the Arrow Cave afterwards and meet up with Team Arrow, Flash, and the Justice League members. All of the kids were talking quietly at first while the adults watched over them. Clark’s son was the first to notice that Tom wasn’t paying attention, and soon other’s noticed. Sara Diggle tried to say something to him, but Tom kept his eyes on the floor and walked away. Everyone started to leave after that, except for Team Arrow. Oliver and Felicity followed Tom upstairs into Verdant. They could hear him talking quietly.

“And everyone is acting like you’re gone. It hurts so bad. No one is themselves anymore Sav,” he whispered to the empty chair beside him. It was pulled out a little bit, just enough so an imaginary Savannah could fill the void.

“You’re a hero, you know. You saved Josh’s life, and I know you tried to help Lucy. I’m so proud of you. You were proud of me too remember. When I won the spelling bee. You told everyone! I was kind of embarrassed because I wanted Kathi to win, but I was so happy that I made you proud! You don’t know how proud everyone is of you. You’re a real hero Sav. I love you.”

Oliver and Felicity muffled their cries and let tears stream down their faces. Their daughter was a hero. However the pride they felt was over shadowed by their remorse.

As the days went on things didn’t get easier, Savannah wasn’t forgotten, but life went on. It had to. Oliver and Felicity brought Tom into their room, and the three of them fell asleep together again. Whenever Tom would talk to Savannah, Oliver and Felicity would smile, and whenever someone suggested therapy they were furious. If this was Tom’s way of coping, they would let him. So Tom talked to her, Felicity worked, and Oliver went out and dressed up as a vigilante at night. It wasn’t happy, it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t complete, nor were they close to mending, but they were surviving…and they promised they would. For Savannah. For their angel.

ONE MONTH LATER

Oliver was on his morning run, and like always he took a detour to his daughter’s grave. She was right next to Moira and Tommy. He laid a flower on each Tommy’s and Moira’s grave and then a bouquet at hers. He sat down and painfully smiled. He still wasn’t used to it, and he had a feeling he’d never get used to it, but he had to try. For his angel.

He whispered to her, and let the tears stream down his face. He didn’t care anymore as long as he was smiling as he said it.

“I love you forever. I like you for always. As long as I’m living, my baby you will be.”

He let the tears stream down his face as he lay next to her grave. He reached out for her and felt nothing. He repeated.

“As long as I’m living, my baby you will be.”

END

 

**Author's Note:**

> There is an alternate ending if you want…and also Oliver never let’s anyone kiss him on the left cheek again.
> 
> There were 20 MAJOR school shootings in the USA in the year 2015. This needs to stop. There have been several other shootings non-school related, which brings the count to over 150. This needs to stop.


End file.
